Fire causes heavy damage to Ijamsville home

Fire is seen Sunday through a second-story window and the attic of a house on Ritchie Court in Ijamsville. (Frederick News-Post/Graham Cullen)

Cars parked along the shoulder of I-70 eastbound Sunday night watched flames rip through the second floor of an Ijamsville home as smoke billowed across the interstate.

A fire in the 9000 block of Ritchie Court in Ijamsville was reported at 8:40 p.m. and under control by about 9:30 p.m., but it caused heavy damage to the rear of the home, said Steve Leatherman, technical services bureau chief for the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services.

No injuries were reported.

Leatherman said Sunday night he couldn’t identify a cause or estimate the damage because the investigation was still in its early stages.

The fire started on the second floor of the home and spread to the rear. High winds hampered the efforts of firefighters, who had to evacuate the house for a short period of time, Leatherman said.

The family was home at the time of the fire but escaped unharmed, he said. He was unsure of who reported the fire to officials.

There was no apparent damage to any of the neighboring homes, which are in a development near the Holly Hills Country Club, Leatherman said.

Twenty-five fire and rescue squad units responded to the fire, according to a county emergency communications dispatcher.